Factory Method is to creating objects as Template Method is to implementing an algorithm. A superclass specifies all standard and generic behavior (using pure virtual “placeholders” for creation steps), and then delegates the creation details to subclasses that are supplied by the client.


Factory Method makes a design more customizable and only a little more complicated. Other design patterns require new classes, whereas Factory Method only requires a new operation.


People often use Factory Method as the standard way to create objects; but it isn’t necessary if: the class that’s instantiated never changes, or instantiation takes place in an operation that subclasses can easily override (such as an initialization operation).


Factory Method is similar to Abstract Factory but without the emphasis on families.


Factory Methods are routinely specified by an architectural framework, and then implemented by the user of the framework.




Here is a popular example of Factory design pattern. For example, you have several database storages located in several places. The program working on the database is the same. The user may choose local mode or remote mode. The condition is the choice by the user. You may design your program with Factory pattern. When the local mode is set, you may instantiate an object to work on the local database. If the remote mode is set, you may instantiate an object which may have more job to do like remote connection, downloading, etc.


interface DatabaseService {
    public DataInfo getDataInfo() throws Exception;
    public FieldInfo getFieldInfo() throws Exception;
    public void write(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception;
    public void modify(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception;
    public void delete(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception;
    //...
}
class Data implements DatabaseService {
    
    public Data(String fileName) {...};
    public Data(URL url, String fileName) {....};
    public DataInfo getDataInfo() throws Exception {...};
    public FieldInfo getFieldInfo() throws Exception {...};
    public void write(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception {...};
    public void modify(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception {...};
    public void delete(FieldInfo fi) throws Exception {...};
    //....
}
class DataManager{
   Data data = null;
   ...
   if (local) {
      data = new Data(localFile);  
      ...
   }
   if (remote){
      data = new Data(connectRemote, databaseFile);
      ...
   }
   data.write(someInfo);
   data.modify(someInfo);
   ....
}
To illustrate how to use factory design pattern with class level implementation, here is a real world example. A company has a website to display testing result from a plain text file. Recently, the company purchased a new machine which produces a binary data file, another new machine on the way, it is possible that one will produce different data file. How to write a system to deal with such change. The website just needs data to display. Your job is to provide the specified data format for the website.


Here comes a solution. Use an interface type to converge the different data file format. The following is a skeleton of implementation.


//Let's say the interface is Display
interface Display {


   //load a file
   public void load(String fileName);


   //parse the file and make a consistent data type
   public void formatConsistency();


}


//deal with plain text file
class CSVFile implements Display{


    public void load(String textfile) {
        System.out.println("load from a txt file");
    }
    public void formatConsistency() {
        System.out.println("txt file format changed");
    } 
}


//deal with XML format file
class XMLFile implements Display {


    public void load(String xmlfile) {
        System.out.println("load from an xml file");
    }
    public void formatConsistency() {
        System.out.println("xml file format changed");
    } 
}


//deal with binary format file
class DBFile implements Display {


    public  void load(String dbfile) {
        System.out.println("load from a db file");
    }
    public void formatConsistency() {
        System.out.println("db file format changed");
    } 
}


//Test the functionality
class TestFactory {


    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Display display = null;
        
        //use a command line data as a trigger
        if (args[0].equals("1"))
           display = new CSVFile();
        else if (args[0].equals("2"))
           display = new XMLFile();
        else if (args[0].equals("3"))
           display = new DBFile();
        else
           System.exit(1);


        //converging code follows
        display.load("");
        display.formatConsistency();
   }    
}
//after compilation and run it


C:\>java TestFactory 1
load from a txt file
txt file format changed


C:\>java TestFactory 2
load from an xml file
xml file format changed


C:\>java TestFactory 3
load from a db file
db file format changed


In the future, the company may add more data file with different format, a programmer just adds a new class in accordingly. Such design saves a lot of code and is easy to maintain.